Birmingham Play

[Rheghead]

tip top wrote

The play depicts sexual abuse, homosexual activities, rape and murder in a Gurdwara.

(A Gurdwara is a sacred place of worship for Sikhs)

It sounds a bit extreme for a Miss Marple mystery?

However the Bible contains similiar outrages and that is read to kids at Sunday school!

[tip top]

I'm not a great Agatha Christie reader, however I do believe there was a Miss Marple story entitled "The man found dying in the church sanctuary". Perhaps not as controversal, however it could be if you wanted to make it that way!!!!

[squidge]

TS Eliot Wrote "Murder in the Cathedral" completely in verse. This is a political play which makes a political comment on the times. It deals with the murder of Thomas a Becket in 1170. AS far as i can see it hasnt been denounced as Blasphemousd but 1170 was a long time ago nad the event prtrayed did actualy happen.

I guess the point of this is that the temple is sacred and to suggest these things take place in a temple is offensive to sikhs. We are not in a position to judge whether that offence is justified or not because we dont share their beliefs. Things that offend one person might not offend another and it is a very subjective emotion.

[Rheghead]

squidge wrote

This is a political play which makes a political comment on the times. It deals with the murder of Thomas a Becket in 1170

This murder caused an outrage across Christendom at the time but history judges the murder justified because it was England's first step away from a theocracy into a secular state.

BTW Indira Ghandi was assassinated by her own Sikh bodyguards (who were in turn shot by her own Sikh bodyguards) for ordering troops to occupy the Sikh Golden temple.

Henry II never had to put up with such assassination attempts (as far as I know by his Christian bodyguards) for ordering troops into the Cathedral!

He may have been excommunicated but i am not sure.

[jjc]

Perhaps christians are more tolerant than other religions and that is why Miss Marple has not been strung up???

Perhaps. But perhaps there's also a little bit of truth in Christians being more tolerated than other religions?

[squidge]

This murder caused an outrage across Christendom at the time but history judges the murder justified because it was England's first step away from a theocracy into a secular state.
.

thats quite right but the play itself didnt particularly cause any outrage when it was written.

[Rheghead]

That's probably because the outrage was 'old hat' and Agatha had failed to touch upon anything new and controversial?